Why: The movement to opt out of high-stakes, standardized testing in Seattle has never been bigger. A growing number of schools around Seattle are experiencing unprecedented numbers of parents opting their students out of standardized testing, especially the new SBAC exams. Parent Carolyn Leith said, “I’m opting my daughters out of SBAC testing this year because these test are robbing our children of valuable class time. My children are developing many skills–such as collaboration, creativity, and problem solving–that can’t be measured by this test.”

At the press conference, the newly formed organization “Seattle Opt Out” will reveal the numbers they have collected so far of how many students have opted out of the exams. Parent opt out leader Anastaisa Samuelsen said, “Our newly formed Seattle Opt Out group has grown significantly, and raised parent’s awareness in every part of our District. We have organized several regional forums around Seattle–and more are forthcoming–attended by dozens and dozens of parents. Parents who vote. Many have shared heartbreaking stories about the undue stress testing brings, and the dislike of school their children are developing. We are very concerned about this.” Parents from several of these schools will be on hand to explain why they have opted their students out of the tests including:

SPED parents who will talk about how these tests unfairly punish and demoralize their students

ELL parents who will address why these tests are not culturally or linguistically appropriate

Parents of color who will talk about the way these exams maintain institutional racism

This parent uprising against the SBAC is also being supported by teachers. Teachers at Nathan Hale, Chief Sealth, Ingram, Schmitz Park Elementary, Garfield, and others have issued statements about their many objections to SBAC testing. As award winning Nathan Hale history teacher Doug Edelstein said, “Many teachers, educational researchers and parents have determined after responsible research that the SBAC tests could cause harms to our students. There is no valid reason to force these tests on Seattle kids.” Garfield High School Language Arts teacher Heather Robison added, “My conscience demands that I publicly and emphatically assert that high-stakes standardized tests like the SBA as graduation requirements and teacher evaluations tools are detrimental to the meaningful education of ALL of my students, and administering such exams goes against my professional and moral judgment.” Garfield High School teacher Jesse Hagopian said, “The cut score for SBAC testing was deliberately set so as to fail around 60% of the students who take the test. None of us teachers got into our profession to demoralize students and we find this political decision to artificially create mass failure reprehensible and pedagogically unsound.”